Archive for category Physical Activity

Cycling: A Safety Issue For A Healthy Activity

From 2001 to 2006 the incidence of bicycle-related Emergency Department presentations in Sydney, Australia, rose by 42%, hospital admissions by 16%, and treatment for major trauma by 76%. A Danish study recorded a 39 % reduction in all-cause mortality over a 15 year period for people who cycled to work. So sespite the perceived risks, the benefits are overwhelmingly positive. The authors agree that the increase in injury in the Victorian study does not take account of the increase in the actual number of people riding bikes.

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Offer Salad – Sell More Fries

College students were given one of two menus. One menu featured French fries, chicken nuggets and a baked potato; the other included those same items as well as a salad. 10% af the students exposed to the short menu ordered fries. While 33% of the students exposed to the longer menue (including salads) chose fries. Wow! The research suggests that the presence of healthy options on a menu can induce some diners to eat less healthily than they otherwise would. See also http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/599219

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Desk jobs make people obese

Desk jobs are increasing obesity, with many employees and employers ignorant of the risks of sitting down all day, researchers said on Wednesday.

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Very obese adults almost completely sedentary

Morbidly obese adults are sedentary for more than 99 percent of the day, getting only a fraction of the amount of walking that experts recommend for staying healthy, a small study suggests.

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Sports may ease activity decline during teen years

Enrolling young teens in organized sports does not prevent a decline in physical activity during later teenage years, but it does seem to help them maintain some level of physical activity over time, study findings suggest.

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School opportunities and physical activity frequency in nine year old children

The association between PA frequency and school-level PA opportunity differs by sex and weight status. Overweight boys in particular may benefit from health promotion strategies providing greater opportunities for school PA. 1 267 students in 69 Canadian schools participated.

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Ohio Releases Comprehensive Statewide Obesity Prevention Plan

3 relevant golas were chosen: Goal 1: Improve physical activity options and opportunities. Goal 2: Improve nutrition and access to healthy food choices and limit access to unhealthy food and beverage choices. Goal 3: Improve the coordination of policy and resources directed to the prevention and reduction of obesity, especially among those populations most at risk.

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Students Give Up Wheels for Their Own Two Feet

Each morning, about 450 students travel along 17 school bus routes to 10 elementary schools in this lakeside city in Italy. But there are zero school buses. Walking School Buses are fantastic! See also http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/story/1115234.html

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Physical Activity May Strengthen Children’s Ability To Pay Attention

New research from University of Illinois suggests that physical activity may increase students’ cognitive control – or ability to pay attention – and also result in better performance on academic achievement tests. See also http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/digest.jsp?id=10129

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New Global Association Promotes Benefits Of Worksite Health

A newly formed International Association for Worksite Health Promotion (IAWHP) is dedicated to worksite health and encouraging employees to be active and healthy. CDC and The Coca-Cola Company support IAWHP.

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